City Under Siege
by Andorian Ice Princess-AIP
Summary: AU rewrite of 5.11/12 A vengeful madman would bring the city to its knees and force the SRU to realize just how precious life is and show them all that in the blink of an eye, lives and futures could change forever. CHAP 4 up now
1. Priority of Life

**Title: City Under Siege  
****Chapter 1 – Priority of Life **

**Summary:** AU rewrite of 5.11/12 A vengeful madman would bring the city to its knees and force the SRU to realize just how precious life is and show them all that in the blink of an eye, lives and futures could change forever.

**Disclaimer: ** If you don't know by now read my other AU/FP stories lol there is no Sophie and no Hank, our AU couple is happily married and I only own the idea behind that and my OC's if any – don't sue, I have no money lol the rest belongs to FP

**A/N:** Yes I'm back! (can't stay away from our AU couple it seems!) Okay so as you all know I did not like the way they ended FP (sorry writers but they way you killed our fave female SRU in a word sucked lol-yes even now I'm still upset and can't watch the ending of that eppy no matter what) *le sigh* however I wanted to do a rewrite like I did with Fault Lines/Personal Effects for our AU couple. So much like that one, there is no Sophie, Hank and no Clark and the person in trouble will be Roy, and remember NO GOOD GUYS DIE! Oh and since this is AU, Wordy's back in action. Sorry I do love Leah (she's great) but I can't have Ed w/out Wordy at his side and missed him in action in the finale so this makes me feel better also haha. So hope you all like this little short story and thanks so much!

_Note: Words in italics and double quotes taken directly from episode_

* * *

"Please tell me that isn't the alarm already," Donna groans as she hears her husband's grumble seconds before his strong hand lands on the alarm clock, nearly sending it flying and forcing her to slightly smirk as her eyes finally open and look up at him. "Morning."

"Morning," Ed answers with a small sigh as he too blinks the tired sleep from his eyes; both having stayed up late the night before and feeling it this morning.

"Our friends are getting married today, why are we working again?"

"Because we're both gluttons for punishment," Ed replies with a soft smirk as his fingers gently brush a stray blond strand from her face; her eyes closing in delight to his loving touch. "You can always call in sick."

"I will be there for the ceremony, as least I told my team we have to try to get there, uniforms or not. That's the most important part of the wedding day," Donna states with a small frown as her eyes open once more. "Still can't believe Holleran didn't give you all the day off."

"That was Sam and Jules call," Ed shrugs. "But they didn't want to postpone and wanted all of the team there for their vows so a day with a shift in between had to suffice. How did Tom manage to scam today off?" Ed inquires as he props himself up on his elbow and looks down at his loving wife of two years.

"He had some family stuff with Amy and I didn't press," she purses her lips. "Jim Barns from team two is subbing today for the extra shift. Needs the cash. You know speaking of wedding's…"

"I talked to Roy already."

"You have?"

"I have and he said he's going down to City Hall today to get the license," Ed replies in truth.

"Talk about cutting it close. The wedding is next weekend," Donna says with a small frown.

"I know," Ed answers with a heavy frown as his jaw tightens. "But…"

"You still think he'll bail? Wendy is the best thing that's ever happened to him. Doesn't he know a good thing when he has one?"

"What can I say, only one of us was blessed with brains," Ed lightly boasts.

"And you got the looks," Donna teases as her eyebrows playfully wag.

"Oh is that so," Ed playfully growls in return before his strong arms capture her in his grasp; her lips emitting a soft giggle before his mouth covers hers and their bodies quickly meld into one; starting the day with an adventurous intimate romp, and not knowing it would end with misery and anxiety.

"Okay, behave while I'm out keeping the peace."

"I will see you in a few hours. And remember today's gonna be just a regular boring day," Ed smiles as he leans in for a kiss.

"Boring? Shall I tell Sam you called his wedding boring?"

"Sure, he's not team leader," Ed retorts with a small shrug.

"You mister are trouble. Okay I gotta go. Love you."

"Love you too."

Donna takes her leave, jingling her keys in her hand as she heads for the elevator, her mind replaying the morning and her lips offering the outward smile of her inner feeling of joyful contentment. When Ed had asked her to marry him two years ago she did have some reservations about marrying someone else in the profession, trying to come up with reasons from it was too dangerous to wanting someone the complete opposite at least profession wise to counter the job stress. But in her heart, she knew the day she met Ed Lane, he was the only one she wanted to marry. The danger part came with the territory; they just did their best to know it was there but not think about it?

_'So you met Ed Lane,' Tom had mentioned over two years ago. 'What's he like?'_

"Perfect," she whispers out loud as she remembers her cryptic reply before walking away from her then friend and fellow SRU applicant who would later become her team leader. But Tom was busy with family stuff so her reminiscing with him would have to wait until she was at the same table at the wedding reception later in the day.

"Please tell me today's going to be boring," Donna groans as she nears the SRU reception desk and smiles at Winnie. "So I'm not the only girl left out of the ceremony."

"Don't even get me started," Winnie replies with a groan as Jimmy walks up to their desk.

"Morning Jimmy," Donna greets as she heads past him toward the locker room to get changed for the day; her mind offering her lips a happy tune – none of them having any idea of the deadly twist that was lurking. "Okay…let's keep the peace," she pats him on the shoulder and the two of them head toward the small team three meeting room to gather up the rest of their team and head out into the field.

"Got a feeling today's gonna be a good day," Jimmy mentions.

"Yeah? Hope you're right," Donna replies with a small smile.

XXXXXXXX

"So Roy's actually getting married this time?" Wordy asks as they head loiter outside in the warm sunny afternoon after Sam and Jules wedding ceremony had concluded.

"Trust me I'll believe it when I see it," Ed replies with a small groan as he looks at his watch. "Said he was heading down to city hall this afternoon to pick up the license. Donna won't let me ask Wendy if she's marrying him on a pity plea," Ed gently chuckles as Wordy gives him a small head shake. "What can I tell ya, I know my brother," Ed shrugs as they slowly meander through the crowd; Shelly talking to Marina and Greg.

"Have you talked to her?" Wordy lightly suggests.

"Wendy? No. In all honesty I do wish them all the best."

"But?" Wordy presses.

"But Donna said I couldn't tell her what he's really like," Ed groans as Wordy slaps him on the back.

"Speaking of your wife," Wordy nods toward Donna and Jimmy a few meters back, Donna pulling away from her temporary team leader and heading toward her husband and best friend. But as she nears, it's evident to all by Ed's outward smile, just how in love with his wife he is.

_"I mean really, it's a fabulous dress. I like it a lot," Ed can't help but tease._

_"Really?"_

_"Yes Donna," Ed replies with a small laugh._

_"Such a gentleman," Donna glares at her husband, giving him a small headshake as she looks at Wordy with a wry expression who offers a small chortle. "Always a kind word, that's why I love you," Donna gives Ed a playful slap on his shoulder as Greg walks up to them. "Debrief went long, some people have to work hard."_

_"Will we see you at the reception tonight?" Greg asks Donna in wonder._

_"Absolutely," she answers Greg with a big smile before Ed decides to playfully interject._

_"You know what, Team One's got a shift to get through, because some of us…work even harder. Not a word, not a word," Ed gives her a mock serious expression and he quickly retreats before she can call him on his lame statement; Ed earning a look of sarcastic shock from his wife before he makes his hasty exit._

"Never seen you walk that fast," Wordy snickers as the two of them get into the truck and head toward SRU headquarters; the rest of the team following in their SUV's.

"I married to a woman that could put me on my ass if she wanted," Ed replies with a grin as he steers them through traffic.

"Not that you mind," Wordy counters.

"Not at all," Ed nods with a smile. "But trust me I'll hear it tonight for her missing the ceremony."

"You taped it right?"

"Spike's making me a copy right now. Hey I value my life you know."

"More like you don't want to be sleeping on the couch," Wordy teases.

"That too," Ed agrees as they reach SRU headquarters. They all file in to get dressed in their professional attire, no one really batting an eye when Sam and Jules head for the women's locker room to get changed at the same time; Spike heading for Winnie's desk to show her what she missed at the ceremony and Ed and Wordy heading for the men's locker room to get changed.

Ed's phone buzzes to life and he's quick to reach for it and read the message from his wife; putting it away with a smirk.

"She promised to punish you for that teasing comment about her at the ceremony?" Wordy snickers as he nears Ed, both of them now fully dressed.

"Scary how well you know us," Ed tosses. "But think I'd mind?" Ed smiles as his phone buzzes again.

"Okay am starting to think you're honeymooners," Wordy deadpans. "Donna again?"

"No, it's Roy this time. He's got one more stop and then heading to City Hall," Ed lightly groans. "I swear he'll blame an alien landing for him not getting that license."

"Thought he actually wanted to get married," Wordy frowns.

"Yeah…thought so also."

"But?"

"He's afraid of her walking out like the last one," Ed groans. "He always blames them without looking at what he might have done to contribute to them leaving. Donna and I have our bad days but we both work hard to make it work. Roy…yeah he just doesn't get it. He's a royal pain in the ass most of the time."

"Ah but you'd miss him if he were gone," Wordy smirks.

"You sure about that?" Ed retorts as the closes his locker.

The two of them reenter the main area, walking up to Sam, Jules, and Greg; the five of them talking about the ceremony and hoping that the next few hours would pass by without incident so they could all attend the reception together. But it's not long before their attention is quickly averted toward Winnie's station; a concerned call from the 9-1-1 dispatch center and it was all hands on deck.

The teams head out into the field, hoping the hot call wouldn't be as serious as the calm but concerned caller made it out to be. But it's not long into that call that their world is suddenly rocked by frantic calls coming into the dispatch center they are trying to help.

_"It's the Federal Building, Health & Welfare."_

_"Team, we're looking at another bomb that has gone off downtown. Massive casualties. We are looking at a terror attack."_

_"Ed…go!" Spike tells the team, Greg giving his verbal approval._

The four of them turn and race for their waiting trucks, Sam and Jules in one and Ed and Wordy in the other. But it's mere seconds before he pulls his phone; the only thought on his mind right now to call his wife and make sure she's okay. "Come on baby pick up," Ed chants as he listens to Donna's phone ring without answering. "Ah damn pick up," he grumbles as he hits redial, his heart rate skyrocketing with the terrible thought that she was somehow caught in the blast. Finally her voice is heard in his ear and his mind instantly settles his heart.

"Where are you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just finishing up a patrol. I just heard, you okay?"

"Yeah I am; team's okay. I'm sure Roy's okay too. He's either got the radio cranked too loud or somewhere noisy where he can't hear his phone. But call me as soon as you hear from him. He might call you first. Okay, I love you too. Yeah bye."

Ed hangs up and then looks at Wordy with a small frown as Wordy's turn to call his family. "Are they okay?"

"Shel says the girls are playing in the living room and she has the TV on in the kitchen; she doesn't want them to see the carnage. She's okay. Donna?"

"She's okay. On her way," Ed replies as they reach the blast site.

"Roy?"

"He probably didn't charge the damn battery. Wordy…look…"

"Damn," Wordy curses as they look at the scene of carnage before them and then trade horrified expressions.

"Okay team one, it's all hands on deck. Let's get out there and help out where we can," Ed tells his team over his head set before the two trucks come so a stop and two of them quickly get out. _"Find survivors go!"_

Knowing that his wife is safe and his brother probably helping the uni's after getting his license and unable to hear his phone, Ed's mind turns to helping find survivors and move the wounded to an area of triage. He hears screaming, crying, moaning, cursing, sirens, horns, shouting and sometimes eerie silence from the still bodies around him.

"Ed over here," Wordy gestures as Ed turns and hurries after Wordy to help two injured children; Sam inside and Jules helping the other members of EMS and directing the other SRU teams on site as they arrive. It seemed like an eternity of painful actions as they sift through the dead to find and help the living.

But the carnage wasn't over yet. What Ed and the rest of the teams, including his arriving wife, failed to realize is – another device had gone off in another part of the city; the main reason why Roy Lane wasn't answering his phone.

_"Another bomb has gone off. Did you say City Hall?"_

_"Team listen up…"_

"Boss did you say City Hall?"

"Eddie we don't have anything confirmed yet the uni's are on thei…"

"Roy's there he…" Ed's voice trails off as he looks at his watch and then lightly curses. "Maybe not. I don't know. He was supposed to go and pick up his marriage license. He said noon, but…but maybe he's late. I can't get ahold of him."

"All the lines are overloaded and you know Roy, he's a Lane. If the bomb did go off there, he's probably helping others and figuring you'd know that as you'd do the same."

"Maybe but…"

"Ed, just wait until we have more information before you and Donna get worried for nothing."

"Okay I'll call as soon as we hear word," Ed huffs as he watches Donna hurrying toward him. His mind breathes a small sigh of relief as he watches her approach; happy that she's okay but at the same time feeling a small twinge of guilt as he looks past her to the dead around them and know other spouses wouldn't be as lucky as them.

"Hey," Donna reaches Ed, her hand gently resting on his arm and giving him a small but tender glance. "Glad you're safe," she whispers as her fingers squeeze his taut forearm. He pulls her into his strong embrace for a brief but affectionate hug before they both pull apart and prepare to get back to work.

"Yeah me too," Ed replies with a small grimace as he looks away and then back at her in mild panic. But his face frowns as his eyes rest upon a small blood smear on her cheek, his fingers gesturing in that direction.

"It's not mine," her fingers gently touch her face, her fist balling and using the end of her sleeve to wipe it away. But as she studies his expression she knows something else is troubling him. "What is it? You hurt? Ed, what's wrong? I know that look. It's borderline panic."

"It's Roy. I think he's at City Hall but I haven't heard from him. He could be helping but he knows I'd be calling. I can't get through. Donna…"

_"We've been given that as priority one. I'm heading there now. I'll call you as soon as I get there."_

"Okay but…"

"Come on, what are the odds? This is Roy we're talking about. He's probably out there shouting orders and not bothering to check his phone. Besides we know the lines are overloaded."

"I know."

"I'm heading there now and I'll give finding Roy my top priority."

_"Okay."_

_"I'll call you when I get there," she gives his shoulders a firm squeeze, looking at the concern in his sapphire orbs; holding them a few seconds longer. _"I will call you okay? I love you."

"Love you too," Ed replies with a small whisper as he watches her go. But it's not long before Wordy's strained shouts pulls his attention back to the task at hand and he hurries back into the thick of the battle zone.

"What's going on?"

"Ed thinks his brother might be at City Hall. He was supposed to pick up his marriage license," Donna replies as she hops into the front seat of the SUV and tears away; her mind in agony as she recalls the look of despair on her husband's face. She knows how much he hates to feel so hopeless and in that second it pained her to see him so lost. But her assuring words brought back his determination and she knows his faith in her is more than well founded – it's justified.

"Come on Roy pick up," Donna tries Roy's cell number once more, not realizing that at the same time, he's calling his brother. "We're almost there," she mutters to herself as Jimmy looks over in wonder. "So much for today being boring."

"Who said that?"

"Ed this morning," she answers with a small smile. "He hates to be wrong."

"Well I was wrong too, I said today would be a good day," Jimmy groans, earning a small grimace from her in return. "Well then I hope when we find whoever's responsible, Ed has first go at him. If anyone can nail an ass to the wall it's your husband."

"I agree," she answers proudly as they near the carnage at City Hall. The SUV stops and her and her partner both get out and race toward the uniformed officer in charge; the rest of team three behind her. "Jimmy you're with me, we need to find Roy. Richard I want you to take the others and help out where you can. Same drill as at the other site."

"Copy."

XXXXXXXX

Despite the fact his mind's aptly distracted by searching Anson Holt's house for any kind of evidence they can use as to his whereabouts or his next targets if any, he also worries about his wife in thick of things, not able to account for her safety and knowing she likes to takes just as many chances as he. Added to his stress is the eerie silence from his brother. That is until….his phone rings.

Ed's eyes narrow at the number and his voice holds sharp anger as he answers in haste.

"Where the hell are you?" Ed demands from Roy as he answers his phone in haste; his job of searching Holt's home on hold for the moment. But when he hears only silence followed a small grunt in return his mind starts to race. "Roy, what's going on? Talk to me," Ed demands, both Wordy and Spike looking at him in wonder before trading worried glances.

"I can't…move," comes Roy's soft tormented reply.

"Roy? You at City Hall?...Are you in City Hall?" Ed asks again firmly; his legs already taking him toward the front door.

"Yes…garage. Can't…move."

"Okay just stay with me Roy. Spike call Donna and tell her, Roy's at City Hall. Track his phone. I'm coming to get you Roy. Just stay with me," Ed states in haste as he pushes past the rest of Team One and heads for his truck. "Roy, lemme ask you, do you feel any pain?"

"Yeah side hurts…and my legs…are killing me."

"That's okay, mean's your spine's okay buddy. Roy you know you gotta slow your breathing right? Get that heart rate right down for me okay? I taught you sniper breathing right? Roy?"

"Ed…the whole damn…parkade is on top of me," Roy replies to which Ed utters a low curse before silence ensues and his panic once again soars.

"Roy I know it hurts but I know you can hear me. We come from good stock and you're strong. Roy, you're a strong guy okay? But I need you to stay with me okay? Just stay with me."

"Hurry."

"I'm on my way buddy. Almost there."

XXXXXXXX

In that moment Donna's actions had paused as she turns her frantic gaze in the direction of the parking lot and races toward it, Jimmy still in tow. "Ed…I'm heading there now."

"Donna you gotta find him," Ed's voice begs in her ear over the headset. "He says he's buried and…"

"I'll find him, Ed I will find him."

But just as she reaches the mouth to the parking lot, fate decides its time to intervene with another deadly message waiting to be delivered.

"Damn look at this place," Jimmy states in shock.

"I know but we gotta try. Roy!"

_"Donna?"_

_"Yeah boss."_

_"Donna need you to get to the lab. Could be another bomb there," Greg orders._

"I'm at City Hall looking for Roy. Roy! Anyone hear me?"

_"Donna, you're the closest team to that site. I'll be right behind you."_

"I know protocol boss but this is Ed's brother."

_"Donna, I'm almost there, you gotta go," Ed's voice comes over her headset. "You gotta give the lab priority of life."_

"ROY!" Donna calls once more. _"Eddie, I'm right here."_

_"Donna, I got it."_

"Roy!"

"It's going to be okay. But if you can stop this guy before more madness ensues then you gotta do it. I'm almost there and I'll take over."

"The lab."

"I don't want you to go either but you know we hafta stop this guy."

Donna looks at the mess before her and then back at Jimmy as her husband's voice resounds in her brain. She knows the code, lives it but in the face of all this horrific carnage was hoping it wouldn't become an issue. Now it had and to hear the pain in Ed's tone, pulls at her heart.

"Donna I got this. You found him. I'm only minutes away."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. Jimmy let's go! Team Three let's move out!"

"Donna, stay safe," his voice tenderly pleads.

"Always Eddie," she replies almost in too much haste.

"Donna…please just be careful."

"With a guy this smart and sinister am sure he's already left. Don't worry. I love you and we'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you too."

Donna hurries back up the exit ramp, her mind racing with anger at herself for not daring to break the code and help Ed find his injured, possibly dead brother, but inside she knows if they can stop the madman before he murders anymore innocent people she has to do it. The needs of the many always outweighed the needs of the few – or the one.

"I hope this ends here," Donna whispers in angry frustration as they race toward the lab. Her mind trails back to the pained look on her husband's face about an hour earlier and her heart starts to ache. Pulling out dead strangers was painful but not as tormented as pulling out a dead loved one. That would be beyond tormented – it would be hell if Ed found his brother's dead body.

"Okay we're here."

"Proceed with extreme caution," Greg warns over the headset.

"Donna…please be careful," Ed whispers as he hurries toward the dusty entrance and stops as watches Steve, the first EMS on scene appear with a grim expression.

"Where is he?"

"It doesn't look good Ed," Steve tells Ed in truth.

"Roy! I'm here!" Ed presses as his mind starts to focus on helping the EMS search and rescue crews extract Roy from beneath his car and the rubble around and on top of him.

"Car broke most of the fall," Steve admits as Ed shouts to Roy once more. But his mind is so preoccupied with helping with the painstaking process of extracting Roy from the rubble that he fails to listen clearly to the tense discussion between Greg and Donna about their finding Anson Holt and the odd situation he's in.

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye things change.

He hears Greg frantically telling Donna to get out of there…seconds before she calls his name and then the ground literally shakes that he instantly snaps back to reality and freezes.

_"Eddie!"_

**BOOM!**

"Donna? DONNA!"

* * *

**A/N:** Okay so I know this is AU and therefore I am going to concentrate on our couple and not put Greg through the physical hell the real writers did and hope that's okay (but there will still be lots of angst!). and yes of course I'd never kill our beloved Donna but Ed doesn't know that yet – so expect lots of angsty tension up next as the race to recover is underway. Will the priority of life code be honored when other bombs come into play? Stay tuned. Hope you all liked this start (hope I'm not to rusty with this fandom!) and please do review and thanks so much!


	2. Utter Despiration

**Title: City Under Siege  
****Chapter 2 – Utter Despiration**

* * *

_"I can handle it…he's quiet, cooperative…even with a gun to his head."_

_"Boss does this make any sense to you?" Jules asked. "If he was going to blow himself up why didn't he already do it?"_

As soon as Donna heard Jules and Greg talking about Holt's attitude and position and then looking up to see the camera watching her, she felt her whole world freeze. This is wrong! _GET OUT! _Her brain shouted even before Greg had told her to. The rest of team three had already started to make for the exit but her and Jimmy were the last two out.

_"What are you looking at? What?" Donna's voice hisses._

_"What are you looking at Donna?" Greg asks in haste._

_"A blinking camera in the ceiling."_

_"Donna, get out of there now!" Greg's voice frantically fills her head._

_"Donna what's happening?" Ed asks in concern._

_"Eddie…" Donna manages before everything changes._

They waste no time in racing toward the door, the rest of team three already nearing the entrance.

"Donna mov…" Jimmy tries.

It was surreal…something out of a nightmare…a horrific nightmare. The kind you never want to see again. Ever.

"Jimmy mo…"

She yells to her partner to move just as she hears Jimmy shouting her name seconds before their world heaves…shakes…and then finally explodes around them; her voice calling out her husband's name seconds before the wind is literally knocked and sucked out of her chest all at the same time by a heated blast on her back and painful pressure on the front. Anyone watching would see a ragdoll being casually tossed to the side; discarded after play, no longer of use.

Just as her legs had cleared the heavy door, she feels Jimmy give her a good shove to the left, her body quickly falling to the floor seconds after it gives way beneath her. She tries to call out to Jimmy to get clear but the scream never escapes her mouth as the building starts to creak and groan overhead raining bits of ceiling tile, drywall dust, glass shards and splintered wood all around her. A large part of the roof had sagged into the room a few meters behind instantly destroying the area the charred remains Anson Holt had been. But the blast wasn't uniform and a part of the wall caved in before the ceiling area she was tossed under. The wall unwillingly bears the brunt of the blast, in a way shielding her battered frame from the ceiling caving in on her and completely burying her alive.

_Eddie…._her mind calls out as the screams inside are silenced.

Seconds later the shouts outside ensue.

XXXXXXXX

For a few seconds Ed's world grinds to a silent halt. Another bomb had gone off. A bomb his wife was in the vicinity of. He heard her call his name and then silence. _This…this isn't real. This isn't happening, _he had tried to reason in those few silent seconds. But as he hears Greg utter the phrase oh my god with a heavy lament, his world comes flooding back and his heart starts to race.

_"Son of a bitch…" Greg curses._

His wife.

His brother.

His choice.

_This can't be…_his mind spins in frantic circles. _I have to help them both…I have…my wife…my brother…love them both but…Donna…love her more. This can't be._

"Greg? Talk to me…tell me…what happened."

"Eddie…she was…oh god she was right there."

"Right where? Greg?"

"Ed…"

"Donna? Donna!" Ed mentions as he pauses in his actions. He had just reached the mass of rubble his brother was trapped under when Greg's desperate plea for her to get away from the man with a chemical bomb strapped to his chest finally snapped his brain to attention.

"She was right there," Greg whispers in torment.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ed yells as his hands literally flood with a surge of superheated adrenaline and he pushes the piece of rubble away from the mass on top of his brother and then pulls back with flood eyes. "Donna!"

"Eddie I don't know anything yet," Greg states over the headset.

"Donna? Baby talk to me…talk to me!" Ed demands in emotional anger, forcing the search and rescue crew to stop and stare at the visibly agitated SRU team leader. "Donna? Donna answer me! Come on you gotta answer me! Boss…"

"Ed the front part of the building's collapsed; it's just gone. I see Richard being pulled out by one of the uni's…I don't see the rest of team three. Hang tight Eddie. Search and rescue say the site isn't stable and…"

"That's my wife!" Ed snaps before he looks at the rubble and then casts his watery gaze at the exit to the parking garage. "I'm com…"

"Ed the site is contaminated. We've all been exposed to radiation. It was a dirty bomb. No one can come or…"

"I don't care if it's contaminated!" Ed growls as he turns to look at Steve.

"If the site is contaminated then you wouldn't be allowed to help find her without..."

"I don't care!" Ed grumbles again as he shrugs off Steve's friendly touch on his shoulder.

"Eddie…I swear as soon as…"

"Boss I can't….Donna? Baby you gotta answer me, please just answer me," Ed begs as he pulls away from the team trying to rescue his brother. "You gotta talk to me, please just say…something," he continues; the pleading tone in his voice forcing all absent members of Team One to pause in their actions.

"No," Jules whispers over her headset, looking to Spike at her right; Sam and Wordy in the other SUV.

"Donna! You answer me now okay?" Ed tries to demand; his angry frustration getting the best of him. "Talk to me! Please…talk to me," he tone sways from outright anger to abject misery.

"Roy! Can you feel my hand?" Steve's voice cuts into Ed's verbal misery, forcing his watery blue eyes to where Steve had crawled under the supported wreckage to see how Roy Lane is faring; the other four fire fighters gently removing the rubble and car parts.

"Roy…hey buddy," Ed leans in and gently touches Roy's neck; Roy's eyes opening as a response. "You're gonna be okay."

"Donna?" Roy asks in a soft whisper as he hears the torment in Ed's voice. "I heard…"

"We uh…we don't know yet."

"She's…gonna be okay," Roy tells Ed as Ed looks at his brother with a heavy frown. "Too stubborn to die…perfect match," he concludes with a small smile.

"I uh…I can't…she won't answer."

"Okay Ed, you gotta move back a bit," Steve gently implores.

Ed steps back, puts his right hand to his headset and continues to call out to his wife in utter desperation. "Donna you gotta answer me okay? You answer me and I'll…boss…"

"Eddie, the hazmat crews are here and the search team will need to be suited up before…wait…"

"What?"

"I see…its Rachel. Rachel…here let me…hold on just take it easy. You need to put pressure on that."

"How is she?"

"Looks like...yeah a broken arm and she's banged up pretty good."

"Where's Donna? Did she see Donna?" Ed queries in frantic agitation.

"Eddie, Donna and Jimmy were with Holt…they were in the same room. She was trying to diffuse the bomb when…" Rachel's voice dies out.

"When what?"

"There was a camera. The bomber was watching," Greg admits before Ed's lips utter an angry curse that echoes off the cold cement walls.

"It was a trap," Wordy's sad whisper interjects. "Eddie…"

"Donna, you answer me right now," Ed demands as he turns and looks back at Steve who was now trying to get some tubing under the wreckage to help his brother. "Donna…tell me what to do. Come on baby…talk to me," he continues to plead. "Boss this can't be happening."

"Just a few more minutes Eddie and when the smoke dies down I can tell you more," Greg tells him in truth as Ed turns back to Steve and the progress to help Roy.

"Move faster!" Ed shouts as Steve simply gives him a sympathetic nod.

"We're working as fast as we can."

"Sorry. I know I…." Ed's words die in his mouth as he shakes his head and looks away and then back at Steve as they prepare to move Roy out from under his car wreckage.

"The wreckage is stabilized. Okay lets get the spinal board in there and get him out," Steve directs as Ed hangs back to watch, his lips calling his life's name over and over and his heart aching at getting only tormented silence in return.

"Ed…"

"You're almost out buddy."

"No…come closer," Roy begs with a soft whisper as he quickly leans in closer. "You…get this guy."

"I gotta find Donna…"

"She's okay, you know that. Get this bastard Ed. You…get him," Roy's voice finally fails as he gently coughs.

"Ed we gotta get in there and get him out."

"Okay," Ed replies as he steps back once more.

"Okay let's get him out stat!" Steve shouts as they prepare to pull Roy free.

"How is he?" Ed asks as he remains fixed in place before taking a few small steps toward the wreckage and helps pull his brother free. Ed looks down at Roy's painful expression and feels himself grimace along with his brother.

"Roy can you feel this?" Steve asks as he pinches Roy's toes after removing his boots.

"Yes," Roy replies weakly as he looks up at Ed.

"His spine's okay and that's a good sign. Can't tell the extent of the injuries and he probably has internal bleeding. We'll do our best to get him into the OR stat but today…"

"I know," Ed sighs as he kneels down beside his brother as they work to prepare the rest of him for transport. "Not aliens this time."

"Anything?"

"I um…I don't know they uh…they won't…you're going to be okay."

"Go find her."

"Roy."

"You find this guy…nail his ass to the wall," Roy states firmly as eye's gently water. "You get him Ed."

"I will but uh…"

"Donna's strong…she'll be okay," Roy gives Ed a firm nod. "Ed…"

"Yeah buddy," Ed looks back in misery.

"Nearly…lost it all today."

"I know…I know. You're going to be okay," Ed leans in, taking his brother's hand and giving it a firm squeeze.

"Go find…Donna."

"Okay," Ed nods as he slowly stands up, the transport team standing with him.

"Love you brother."

"Love you too," Ed whispers as he watches Steve cover Roy and then turn back to him with a determined expression.

"Your brother is going to be fine. Go get your wife," Steve gives Ed a firm pat on the back.

Ed gives Steve a determined nod before he turns and races back up the exit ramp. "Boss I'm on my way," Ed tells his superior in such a tone that tells Greg in that instance to argue back would be moot. "Anything?"

"Still trying to find Gary and Riley," Greg refers to Team Three's Tactical expert Gary and Spike's counterpart, Riley. "They're um…still missing in the rubble. Tom's on his way here. I just called him."

"Boss…"

"Ed, we don't have the bomber in custody yet and until we do…"

"Don't you dare lecture me about the priority of life code. My wife is…Donna answer me," Ed's attention shifts from talking to his boss to pleading with his wife. "Donna you gotta talk to me. Tell me you're okay. Please tell me you're okay. Donna!"

XXXXXXXX

_'Donna Sabine I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?'_

_'Yes.'_

_Eddie…_Donna's mind fixes on the happy thought moments before it replays her team confronting Anson Holt, seeing the bomb, the rest of the team puling back, Jimmy at her side and then seeing the camera. _RUN! GET OUT OF THERE NOW! MOVE! _

_Am I dead? I feel pain…numbness…ringing…silence…pain…silence…pain…I must be dead….but maybe not…the bomb…I see the bomber…he's watching…it's a trap…RUN! Jimmy….move! Am I dead? Where the hell am I?_

_Eddie…_her mind calls in darkness once more before her world finally comes back to her; wracking her with pain and torment.

"Ahhhh…" her lips offer a painful moan as she tries to take in a deep breath but stops with pain in her chest.

Her eyes slowly flutter open and try to look around; darkness is all that greet her. At first panic seizes her as she thinks the darkness is from her eyesight being damaged. But as she focuses on something to her right – a small glint of light, she realizes the darkness is in fact man made and her sight is at least intact.

"Eddie…" she softly croaks as her hands try to move up to feel her body to see what state of despair she's in. She starts with the top of her head, cursing the fact that the headset is missing along with her baseball cap, not realizing they were a few feet away under some concrete debris – useless. Her fingers feel some sticky ooze around her forehead and her brain swiftly and correctly assumes its blood, her blood. She wipes the substance on the top of her uniform and continues; but as soon as she feels a pang in her back, she tries to shift to a better position but is unable.

"Oh…damn," Donna gently curses as she tries to pull her leg free. She feels her toes wiggle and takes immediate comfort in the fact that her spine hasn't been damaged to the point of her being paralyzed in any way. But breathing is labored and she now wonders if a rib hasn't broken and punctured a lung; if that was the case she could still die.

"Sniper…breathing," she whispers hoarsely as she tries to pull back. The space around her is blanketed with debris but as soon as she moves the pressure from the busted wall on her chest eases and breathing isn't as shallow. "Thank god," she utters as she starts to feel the dark space around her.

"Eddie…baby you gotta come get me," she groans as her head starts to pound and she feels her heart start to race. She closes her eyes and gently rubs her temples, bumping her right elbow on a piece of the wall and cursing the fact she can't move very well.

"Jimm…" she tries and then coughs. "Jimmy!" She tries once more; her voice blanketed and muffled by the slabs of concrete on either side; her lungs constricting as she sucks in dry dust and particle contaminants.

_'Donna…get out of there now!'_

_'Donna, what's going on?'_

_'Eddie…!'_

Her voice recalls Greg's frantic plea and her voice calling out to her husband before time started to warp past, sending her flying into the wall and then dropping her like a rag doll onto the floor; her arms coming up instinctively to protect her face but her body uncovered and vulnerable.

The ringing in her ears refuses to settle long enough for her to know if they are looking for her outside. What is going on? Where is the rest of my team? Did Ed find Roy? Is he on his way here? She knows the layout of the University and tells herself if she could only pull herself out of the area she's in they'll find her faster and she can help them find Jimmy.

_He was right beside me….no to my right…no wait he was…_her mind frantically races to recall where her temporary team leader had gotten to in the heated commotion. But once again she can only curse herself as her left leg refuses to budge from the area it's trapped.

_Is my leg broken? _No I can flex my knee. _My ankle! Is my ankle broken? _No I can…wait its…oh damn my leg's cut. Her throbbing head slumps back down as she takes in a deep breath. But in doing so feels another sharp pang and knows that something internal isn't as it should be.

"Oh damn…Ed…I hope you're…on your way here. I know you'll find me…I know it," her voice is swallowed up by a sharp gasp of pain. "Ahhhhhh oh god that hurt."

XXXXXXXX

"Donna!" Ed continues to call out to his wife over their headsets as he nears the blast zone at the University; his ignorance at her missing headset only serving to fuel his agitation. He brings the SUV to a screeching halt, jumps out and races toward the yellow police line that Greg and the survivors of team three were waiting behind.

"Greg!"

"Eddie you can't…someone stop him!" Greg shouts as two uniformed officers waiting before the yellow line rush in to stop Ed from crossing it.

"Back away now," Ed demands in anger as Greg looks at him from a distance with a concerned expression.

"Hazmat is here and…"

"I'm coming to look…" Ed jerks his arm free and heads toward the tape but stops; both officers getting a nod from Greg to back down. "Where is she?" Ed asks as he looks from Greg to the other members of team three.

"We don't know," Rachel replies in remorse as she supports her broken arm as the onsite medic hurries toward her and Richard who had just been pulled out.

"The search and rescue team is suiting up. They can't go…"

"To hell with th…"

"Eddie you can't."

"Greg I'm searching for my wife," Ed implores as he turns to look for the search and rescue team.

"Eddie…Ed wait…ah damn," Greg grumbles as he watches Ed storm toward the search and rescue team, flashing his badge and demanding a suit.

"I need to find…Donna? If you can hear me I'm here…I'm right outside," Ed talks into the mouthpiece of his headset. "If you can hear me, I'm right outside and coming in," Ed finishes and then looks at the leader of the search and rescue team.

"Constable Lane, I'm Captain Towes."

"I'm here to help search for Donna Sabine. She's SRU Sar…"

"Sir, I understand your anxiety but…"

"Do you? Is your wife trapped in there?" Ed counters sharply before he reluctantly backs down. "I need to be apart of this," his tone drops back down to a pleading beg. "I don't care if I'm exposed I need to be there and this is not a request."

Ed turns and looks at Greg who can only shake his head as the medics approach to first take Richard who had cut his leg pretty badly, and Rachel; still looking for Gary and Riley. They'd be taken to the medical triage center at the ACC where they'd be treated and decontaminated at the same time; but for the most part all three were now out of commission.

"Sargent Parker?"

"Boss I need to do this," Ed states in a quiet tone as he pulls back for a few moments and talks to Greg on his headset.

"Eddie what if…"

"She's not dead," Ed hisses in anger.

"I don't want to believe that either but what if she is and you're the one to find her. My friend I wouldn't wish that on you. We've already faced enough death and destruction. She was right there and…"

"It's possible that she survived Greg and you know that."

"Okay but if not and you're the one to find her…"

"I saw Roy who…"

"Wife is a lot different than a brother; we both know that. You have a lot more invested emotionally," Greg gently reminds him.

"I have to be there Greg, you know that. I need to do this. I know what to expect but you can't turn me away now. Not now," Ed shakes his head and glares at Greg in determination. "I'm going in."

The search and rescue commander looks at Ed and then at Greg, who pauses before slowly nodding.

"Only until we have a line on the real bomber."

"I'm no…"

"Ed, if we get a line on the bomber you know your first dedication is…"

"I'm not leaving until I find her Greg. The rest of the team…"

"Needs you," Greg interjects as Ed grabs the hazmat suit and starts to roughly pull it on. "Team one is almost here and…"

"I'm not leaving until…" he pauses as his voice cracks. "Greg I made a promise to always keep her safe and I…I'm not leaving until I find her. Don't make me break that vow. I'm going in."

Greg can only watch as Ed, who had fully suited up, ducks under the yellow police caution tape and heads first of all for Greg.

"Go easy okay?" Greg reminds him as Rachel slowly limps over.

"Where was she?"

"Her and Jimmy were…they had cleared the doors but um… I don't know," Rachel replies tearfully.

"We found one alive!" One of the search and rescue team members calls out, forcing Ed to turn and sprint toward the team dressed in the special outfits as they emerge.

"Donna?" Ed asks hopefully as he pushes past one and looks down at the person lying still on the carrying basket.

"Eddie?"

"Boss, it's Gary. Is he alive?" Ed answers Greg and then looks up at one of the searchers.

"He has a pulse but he's not responding. We won't know anything more until we get him some help."

Ed stands aside and watches them carry Gary past, Spike's voice already filling the airways asking about Riley, his friend and fellow electronics expert-counterpart who's still missing.

"Don't know yet Spike but as soon as we have word we'll let you know."

"Boss I'm going in," Ed tells Greg as he falls in behind two other search and rescue members. "Donna, if you can hear me I'm here. Baby I'm right here okay? I'm here…I'm outside. If you can hear me you gotta call out or make noise…please just let me hear your voice. Yell, scream, curse…whatever, just let me hear you."

Ed's fists tighten at his sides as he nears the entrance to the laboratory at the university and tells himself that he'll be okay. But as soon as he actually steps inside and is hit with the pungent smell of burning electrical components, charred human remains and of course musty devastation.

"Stay behind us," Captain Towes of the search and rescue team reminds Ed as he looks at them with a deep frown but can only nod.

"Donna? We're inside the building…can you hear me? If you can just…call our or…just say something so I can hear you. Please let us hear you," he begs as they near the entrance to the room they had tracked Anson Holt to.

"This area bore the brunt of the damage," Towes explains to his team, Ed listening; but at the same time his eyes and ears were looking for one thing and one thing alone – the sign that his wife was alive. "Constable Lane…"

"Captain Towes I'm coming with you, I need to find my wife."

"This is going to be a tricky process. We have to shore up this area before we can go any further otherwise this whole area will come down on my team and I can't take that chance. But at the same time we are racing against the clock because of the radiation. It won't be easy."

"Okay," Ed manages softly as he stands back; praying for them to hurry. "Donna? Please answer me and tell me to stop being so bossy," he concludes with a small sniffle. "Come on baby you can hear me, I know you can."

Ed's eyes pull back from the team to his left and focus on the darkened mass of rubble to his right; the left of the entrance to the room that Holt's obliterated remains would be found in. _Come on baby…where are you? _

"Donna!" Ed yells out loud.

XXXXXXXX

_Eddie? _Donna's mind snaps out of her pain-filled stupor as she thinks she hears her husband's voice calling her name. _Eddie was that you? Oh god really is he here? Please let him be here…._

"Ed…die!" Donna tries; but dust instantly seizes her throat and forces her lungs to constrict and her body to want to recoil. She cries out in pain as her hands try to wrap around her stomach, her head starting to pound and heart feel heavier in her chest. _Have I lost a lot of blood? Why do I feel like this all of a sudden?_

_Eddie! _She hears his name again and curses the fact that she has nothing on her to even use to bang the cement to alert her husband to her location. "Eddie!" She tries once more, her chest heaving and her body sinking back to the floor in frustration. Her right hand rubs her wedding band and her mind finds inner strength and peace in that moment, her brain telling her to hold back her tears and continue to slow her breathing until she was rescued. Help was here. She had to hold on.

"EDDIE!"

XXXXXXXX

For a split second Ed halts his actions of removing debris and stares at a small hole of light coming through the mass of rubble before him and feels his heart lurch. "Donna? Donna!" He calls out as he starts to move a bit faster. But fate was about to step in and ensure that the day would be fraught with more heartache and frustration before hope and rebuilding would take over.

Three voices speak at once forcing Ed to freeze in place.

_"Boss we might have a lead on who the real bomber is," Spike's voice fills the headsets._

_"Eddie, Tom's here to take over the search for Donna," Greg speaks next. "You gotta find this guy and stop him now!"_

"We found someone!" Towes calls out.

Ed looks at the entrance to where Tom was suiting up and then turns back to Towes with a racing expression.

"Boss I'm staying," Ed manages firmly.

"I'm giving you a direct order Ed."

"Greg," Ed starts in a serious tone. "I'm staying."

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you are all still enjoying this AU rewrite of the FP finale. I know this chapter was heavy on the emotional angst but it was supposed to be right? Roy is okay and enroute to being patched up along with the other remaining members of team three. So who's been found? Riley? Jimmy? or Donna? (one of them will die (okay one of the two men lol) but who?) Would love your thoughts on what you think Ed might do. Will Ed disobey Greg and give the reins to Sam? Or will he actually leave Donna to have Tom find her? Please do review and let me know and thanks so much!


	3. Waiting to Exhale

**Title: City Under Siege  
****Chapter 3 – Waiting to Exhale**

* * *

_Donna? Is it Donna? My wife…please God let it be her and let her be okay, _Ed's mind swirls as he helps them carefully but quickly remove the rubble from off the exposed legs, Ed's face wincing at the heavy cut that is seen. The hazmat-clothed search team quickly steps back to allow the hazmat-clothes medical team rush in and try to save the precious life.

"Donna?"

"Eddie what's going on?"

"Not sure boss…Captain Towes…"

"Last name on his shirt says Reynolds."

"Boss they found Riley," Ed replies as he watches them pull Riley's unconscious body from the rubble; Ed's eyes wincing at the piece of rebar that had impaled him in the chest.

"How is he?" Spike asks about his friend in haste.

"Alive…I think," Ed whispers in remorse as he pulls back with a small curse; turning and heading for the entrance the caved in building; Greg slowly approaching, Tom hanging back with the rest of Team One – still safe an unaffected by the radiation leakage.

"What does that mean Ed?" Spike dares to wonder.

"He was stabbed in the chest with rebar but they say he's alive. Sorry Spike, that's all I know," Ed offers in remorse.

"Spike, he'll be fine. He's young and strong," Greg talks into his headset as Ed approaches. "Eddie…"

"He's alive."

"Barely," Greg looks at Ed seriously. "You know as well as I do the deeper they go into that rubble the chances of survival drop."

"I have to believe she's okay. Greg I know this might sound stupid but I know she's alive."

"No, not stupid," Greg assures him in truth.

"I…I can't believe otherwise. Boss you can't order me off this search. If it was just Roy and my mind could focus knowing my brother was safe would be one thing and you know it. You know if it was just that and she was safe I'd be leading our team away from here, following up that lead; but you can't call me away from this now. Not now. Donna knows I'll be looking for her, you can't…"

"I want to spare you…"

"And I get that," Ed interjects firmly. "But Sam is more than capable of taking the lead in this and Tom can slide into his spot until the madman is taken down. But I'm not leaving. You know my mind would not be focused; it'd be here, wondering where my wife is. I can't take that chance – I won't. For today; let me just once not follow that order. Boss," Ed's voice breaks into thick emotion as he watches the medic's hurry by with Riley's unconscious frame on it. "I can't leave. Please don't give me an order you know I cannot obey right now. Please?"

Greg looks at the utterly tormented expression on his friend's face and feels his heart sink. As much as he wants to order Ed away, reasoning it was for his own good, he knows Ed's right – his mind would be distracted and he might make an error that could cost them all dearly. Tom would be a good substitute addition to Team One in Ed's stead, as he knows Tom is close to Donna but not her husband. The emotional connection wasn't even close. Tom could be objective; Ed – distracted. The decision was already made by the man who set up the deadly trap. It would be cruel on his part and tactically unsound for him to order an emotionally compromised team leader into such a dangerous hot call. In good faith he couldn't do it; even to spare Ed the pain of what might be found – he just…couldn't.

"Greg?" Ed begs once more as they all hear Captain Towes voice call out that they were advancing.

Greg looks at Ed and can only offer a firm nod before he turns and looks at the team. "Okay listen up Team One. Sam, I want you to take lead on this."

"Copy that," Sam replies firmly as he looks at Ed and also gives him a nod of confirmation. He knows, or at least can try to sympathize with the inner turmoil Ed's facing right now; having been separated from his own wife not so long ago and wondering about her fate and then having to pull back emotionally when she crawled out from the rubble – injured. His mind too would be distracted and dealing with an enemy this evil and twisted, everyone has to be focused. It was the right call.

"Tom, suit up; you'll join team one today. Spike I need…"

"Copy," Tom agrees as he gestures for Ed to come toward him. "Ed I'm so sorry."

"Trust me today of all day's I'm glad you're on this side of the tape," Ed tells him in truth. "I'm bringing her out alive."

"I know you are. And we're gonna stop his bastard."

"You do that!"

"Thanks Sam," Ed tells his temporary replacement before turns and heads back to the search and rescue team; Greg wanting to stay behind but being told he had head to the ACC to be tested for radiation levels and treated accordingly. "Winnie can you hear me?"

"Go ahead."

"The boss needs a new headset."

"Copy."

"Thanks Eddie."

"I'll be bringing my wife to the stadium. See you there."

Greg can only watch with helpless frustration as Ed turns and hurries back to the mouth of the wounded building, slipping into the gaping hole and disappearing from view. With that he heads for the transport van en route to the stadium praying for the safe journey for his team and a swift rescue for his friend's wife. How did a day that started with so much hope and promise end with such misery and despair?

Ed's eyes instantly seize going back into the darkness and he has to pause a few seconds to let them adjust to the dimly lit surroundings before he decides to proceed. Finding Riley was fortunate but as they get closer to the actual detonation site the injuries to team three were more serious. Richard had only managed a few scrapes and cuts; Rachel a broken arm, Gary, a broken leg and some internal bleeding, Riley….Jimmy…Donna…he knows Greg is right but in his heart he refuses to believe she's anything other than alive and waiting for him.

"Okay guys we gotta make some noise right now!" Towes calls out as he turns and looks at Ed. "If you're a praying man, now's the time to offer one up."

"Donna!"

XXXXXXXX

"Ed…." Donna starts only to utter an angry curse when the area around her starts to vibrate; her body trying to curl around itself to protect her vulnerable frame from further damage. But then something happens. Her hands dare to reach out and touch the vibrating concrete and much to her thankful delight, the mass above her isn't shifting position – at least not yet. It was holding its own, offering whatever protection the remaining steel girders and rebar could provide.

"Okay they found…someone…heard them shout…must have been Jimmy. Jimmy's okay…he's okay," she rattles to herself as she closes her eyes and coughs; the mass around her might not be imploding but there was nothing to stop fresh bits of debris from further raining down on her.

The loud pounding finally stops and she rests for a few more moments, allowing the ringing in her ears to subside as much as possible before she tries yelling again.

"Laryngitis be damned," she growls as she takes in a mouthful of air. "EDDIE!"

She waits.

Nothing.

"Come on baby, I hear voices in the distance…I know one of them is yours. I know you're here…I know it," she lightly whimpers, telling herself to remain calm and keep her fluid emotion in check; there would be lots of time to cry into his strong embrace once they were reunited. Now it was time to focus on staying awake long enough to be found.

"ED! OVER HERE! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" She shouts before her lungs painfully constrict once more thanks to the thick dust and she tries to recoil onto her side. "Damn leg!" Donna curses as she tries again in vain to pull her trapped leg free from the debris her uniform fabric was trapped by but cannot and slumps back in place. Her tight stomach begs for some relief but she knows if she was to throw up it could cause internal damage and she'd be forced to lie in whatever her body wanted to expel. It would all have to wait.

"Eddie…please baby find me. Please."

XXXXXXXX

"Okay Constable Lane I'm gonna hafta ask you to stand back. Ray, Stan…get that lifter in here and get this piece removed! Stat! Come on team time is of the essence here!"

Ed stands back and watches the two rescue team members step forward with some heavy equipment and can only hope and pray it opens a pocket that his wife was able to get to and be sheltered from all the cruel debris. Riley had gotten off relatively easy compared to what he had been trapped under but he was still in very serious condition and much like Gary until the surgery was over and they were back up walking around it was still too soon to give them a clean bill of health.

Ed watches the large piece of debris being removed and holds his breath as he at first thinks it's a human limb that comes into view but exhales heavily as it turns out to be just a mangled piece of wood.

"Eddie? You okay?" Wordy asks in concern over the headset.

"So far," Ed replies with a soft whisper and small cough as he steps back and allows the search team a new angle to dig through. "Wordy hold on…DONNA!" Ed calls out before he turns his attention back to his best friend. "Wordy…what if they don't find her in time?"

"She's going to be okay. You know she'll hold on for you. She knows you're coming," Wordy tries to assure him.

"I just need…a sign…something a call, a shout…Wordy anything," Ed whispers as he internally orders his brain to hold back his tears as he swallows heavily. "I keep thinking back to the day we made our vows and…I can't think straight. What if…"

"Don't do this to yourself Ed. She's strong, you know that."

"Still my job to protect her," his voice dies out as he looks at the mess before him.

"What are you doing right now?"

"Waiting…I can't…" Ed turns and looks at the open door and gently curses. "Donna, baby if you can hear me…just call out if you can," Ed begs once more. "Wordy, she's not answering."

"Her headset might have been damaged in the blast," Wordy lightly suggests.

"Maybe…maybe," Ed huffs as he watches the search and rescue team extract another large piece of debris. "Donna!" Ed calls out once more. But destiny was about to hand him a false sense of despair as one of the search and rescue team calls out they might have found someone.

"We found a body!"

"Hold on Constable Lane," Towes suggests as he looks at Ed in concern.

"Donna," Ed whispers as he tries to see the movement of the rescue team a few meters head. The rescue member, Ray, maneuvers the large piece of machinery into place, settles down the claws and extracts a piece of large debris. But Ed's fists instantly tighten as he spies what appears to be droplets of blood slowly falling off the right end of the large ugly slab. "Oh god NO!" Ed shouts in horror.

"Ed? What's going on?" Wordy asks in haste. "Ed! Talk to me!" Wordy demands firmly. "Have they found her?"

"Blood…oh god they have blood…Donna!" Ed shouts as he tries to push his way into the search; scrambling past two of Towes men but being pulled back by two of the search team before he could impede their progress in any way.

"Ed, talk to me buddy," Wordy implores.

"Donna?" Ed begs as they remove a piece of debris and a gloved hand limply falls to the ground and his heart literally stops. "Donna! No…please don't…no no no…that can't be…move that piece!"

All of team one holds their breath, Ed's heaving breathing taking over the airways; panic surging and his breathing starting to pick up; Wordy and Spike exchanging worried glances.

"Ed?" Tom dares to ask.

"Don't know yet. Move faster!" Ed angrily barks as Towes looks at him in sympathy. "I just need to know…if that's my wife," he begs in sorrow as the airspace over the headsets goes radio silent for the next few seconds. Ed's world starts to slow, the sound booming at levels so high in his ears they start to sound muffled and only the pounding from his rapidly beating heart is heard bouncing off the walls.

_This can't be…maybe it's Jimmy but then….oh God this can't be happening, _Ed's mind spirals as he holds his breath a few moments longer. He watches the rescue team lift off another piece of rubble and Ed's stomach instantly lurches and he feels bile surge up from his stomach and flood his throat, wanting to be tossed out.

"Constable Lane, do you know them?"

"Oh god no…" Ed whispers in misery. "It can't…be…." Ed lightly huffs with a ragged gasp.

"Ed what is it? Is it Donna?" Wordy asks in haste. "Ed!"

"DONNA!" Ed yells in torment.

XXXXXXXX

"Eddie…" Donna's mind snaps her back to reality as she hears her name being called. Only…it sounds…"closer?" She braces herself against the bottom of the debris mass, reaches up her arms and tries to push at the debris block at the top of her head.

"Ahhhhh!" She utters a tormented gasp as her side screams at her to stay put; her arms quickly retreating and her mind yelling at her to be patient but keep alert. _Ed's closer…call out to him…let him hear you…_

She had thought about pulling her gun and firing a shot, but in her confined space might do herself serious harm so would save that for a last ditch effort if it was necessary. _He won't give up on me…he'll not leave until he knows what's happened, _her mind takes comfort. Ed would never just up and leave…not when there was the chance she'd be found safe and alive; he'd stay, even if everyone else left she knows he'd stay. And in that darkened prison; that small ray of light gives her hope.

"Eddie!" She tries once more; the movement around her starting to push fresh puffs of toxic drywall dust into any crack that was around her and flooding the area with chocking particles. "Eddie!" She tries again, her body trying in vain to shift and roll onto her side. But as she tries to push once more against the debris atop her head, she quickly realizes the problem isn't her arm or her side – it's her wrist.

"My wrist….damn think it's broken…maybe just a strain…damn I gotta get out of here," she growls as she slumps back. Her mind finally realizes she has the keys to the SUV in her lower pants pocket and she strains to reach them, wanting to use her left wrist, if possible to tear away the pants fabric and give her a bit more freedom to move to a better position.

"EDDIE!" She continues to yell, her voice start to sound ragged due to the dry dusty bits continually coating her throat. She finally reaches the keys; her somewhat sticky fingers pulling them free of the pocket and then scrambling to get them into her other hand. There isn't much room to move but it was better to keep busy and…

"Wait oh damn…" she hisses at herself as she realizes the keys could at least make some noise. "Ed…I pray you hear this…please baby…please hear this."

XXXXXXXX

"Wordy?"

"Ed, it's Greg; the team has now found the other bombs of Faber's and are trying to detonate them. I've put you on a private channel. Talk to me."

"They um…they found Jimmy. Boss he…he's dead," Ed confesses in misery as he watches the rescue team working to gently remove the somewhat crushed remains of the interim team three team leader. "He was…damn boss…he's…oh god he was…crushed…chest crushed and…I…" Ed turns away as his lips offer a gasp of emotion.

"Eddie I'm sorry," Greg offers in remorse as his kind tone tries to settle Ed's anguished mind. "Maybe you should pull…"

"No. I have to…"

"Constable Lane?" Captain Towes voice gently interjects; Ed's watery blue gaze beneath the protective head shield turning back in haste. "The closer we get to the blast site, the rest will only get worse. If anyone else is in th…"

"SHE'S ALIVE!" Ed yells before he shakes his head and offers a whispered I'm sorry. "She's alive," he repeats in a whispered tone. "I know she's alive."

"I know you want to be here but this can't be easy and if your wife is under…this," Towes pauses as Ed turns back to him with a sharp gaze. "I wouldn't want to find that. I just want to spare you what we _might_ find."

"She's alive and I'm not leaving here until I have her in my arms!"

"Eddie…" Greg tries.

"No boss. I know you all want to shield me from what you think is coming…but I'm…I have to know for sure. I have to. I'm staying here."

"Okay," Towes agrees; Greg unable to do anything but reluctantly listen.

"Just go carefully Ed."

"Copy that," Ed replies as he looks at the darkened mass before him. Two medics are finally able to get to Jimmy's body, wrapping it in a plastic bag and taking it away to be disposed of properly. With his mind anxiously racing, Ed tries to tell himself to help out in any way he can, even if it means taking away smaller chunks that don't amount not much – just to keep busy.

He feels his eyes water again as the machine very carefully removes another piece of debris, the team still working to clear the hallway; not even attempting to get into the room where Anson Holts few bits of remains were waiting; possibly never to be claimed.

"Donna…if you can hear me you gotta call out!" Ed mutters over and over; not caring that he earns a few odd glances from the team working around him. In truth, none of the rescue team was going to call the team leader on his fervent requests – it was a desperate plea, part of a desperate search to claim a precious life. It was more than merited.

But just before he can make another call out, Towes pauses as his radio cracks to life.

"What did you find Clark?" Towes asks one of his search team.

"Jenkins and I are on the other side of the debris pile here Sir. You can't see us but um…well we hear something. A faint voice and I think keys…"

"Say again?"

"I think…yeah we heard it again. Keys jingling…and Eddie? I think. Sir who…"

"Constable Lane is that…"

"Donna!" Ed exclaims as he looks at Towes in haste. "Where are they?"

"Other side of…Lane wait!" Towes calls out as Ed turns and darts back toward the opening of the damage laboratory building; Towes and two others right behind him.

"Ed?"

"Don't know yet boss but they hear keys and a soft voice. It has to be her…it has to be," Ed races toward the other side of the building, hurrying so fast down the stairs it was a miracle he didn't fall; coming to stop before another daunting mass of rubble. "DONNA?" Ed calls out just as Towes comes to a rest beside him.

"Sir…"

"Let him call to her Jenkins. If she's under this, she'll respond to him," Towes offers softly as he knows if there was indeed someone under there, pulling them out without further damage wouldn't be an easy task.

"DONNA? CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"Eddie!" Donna's voice cracks as she stops her task of trying to get her pants free and listens. "He's here…I knew…" her voice pauses as her eyes water. _No…no crying until you are safe. Remain alert and awake. Call out. _"EDDIE!" She tries once more, using the keys to bang against the cement coffin and praying she's heard. "Please god let him hear me. EDDIE!"

"I hear…her oh god yes I hear her," he states with a fluid gasp as he presses himself up against the cement mass as much as he could. "DONNA! BABY I'M RIGHT HERE. I'M HERE TO GET YOU OUT! WE'RE COMING IN!" Ed shouts and then turns back to Towes with renewed determination. "She's alive."

"Okay team let's get her out. We gotta be careful or this could still all come down on top of her," Towes tells his team before he turns back to Ed. "It's a miracle she's alive but this won't be easy."

"I'm not leaving. Not now…not when I'm this close," Ed replies firmly. "I'll stay out of the way but don't tell me to back down now. She needs to hear my voice."

"Okay stand back. Ray we need the machine in here now!"

"Ed?"

"Boss, she's alive…she's uh…she's trapped but she's alive," Ed huffs as he rapidly blinks, cursing the fact that he's unable to pull off his mask and wipe a few tears away. "How's the team?"

"They're working on the bombs. Just stay with me Ed…talk me through it, keep your mind busy," Greg instructs. "What's going on?"

"Okay they have…."

_Ed's here…knew he'd come…_Donna's mind finds instant comfort in the fact that her efforts at being heard were not in vain. Knowing that the rescue effort was now underway, Donna rests her right arm and concentrates her strained efforts on getting her left leg free of the cement barrier. "Ed's here…knew he'd come…knew he'd never give up…" her voice cracks and a few tears of relief start to come forth. As much as she knows its selfish of her to hope that Ed wasn't with the team, she knows that Sam and even Tom were more than capable of helping to bring down the real culprit behind the bombing since it obviously wasn't Anson Holt. "Who the hell…ahhhhh," she slumps back just as her left hand manages to rip the last shred of fabric and her leg pulls free.

"Damn," she groans as she tries to roll onto her side, twisting herself around to greedily stare at the small cracks of light behind and overhead; something her last position didn't afford her. Hope and relief.

"Eddie…baby hurry," she groans as she hears the machine start up, Ed yelling at her to brace herself if she could and then starting to cough as the cracks fill with dusty dirt.

Donna immediately tries to cover her face and head from the impending dust storm, her side and leg screaming out to her to just rest but her mind knowing that wasn't possible just yet and she has to remain strong a little bit longer.

"Why are they stopping?"

"Constable Lane it's a miracle that wall hasn't given way just yet. If we don't brace it up before the machine moves in closer, the vibration could bring it all down on top of her. Whatever small pocket of wall is sheltering her we can't take risks with its integrity. Just keep her talking; let her hear your voice and let us do our job."

"Okay," Ed replies as he grits his teeth.

"Eddie I know this is tough but he's right. They're trained for this."

"I know boss…I know but um…I hear her but can't get there and…"

"Yeah it's tough but they'll find her in time. The team found the locations for four more bombs and are on their way now to take care of them."

"Okay good…" Ed watches as the search and rescue team sets up the last brace and prepare to extract a large piece of debris. "Donna I don't know if you can but baby you gotta try to pull back from where you hit the wall with your keys!" Ed calls out at the direction of Captain Towes. "They're gonna remove the block…just hang…tough," he voice breaks into a small sob before he angrily swallows and utters a small growl. "JUST MOVE BACK!"

"Move…back…I can't….ahhhh…" Donna's lips gasp as she tries to get her body to crouch down toward her feet, her side instantly rebelling but her mind yelling at her to push past the pain. "Ribs…think they're…oh god maybe broken…move…Eddie hurry," she lightly pants as she takes a deep breath.

"THEY'RE COMING IN NOW!" Ed shouts as he pulls back and watches in helpless misery. "Please god let her be okay," he fervently prays out loud as his fists tighten. The machine starts up and his heart breaks as he thinks he hears what amounts to a scream, but in reality is just the whine of the engine. "Donna…you have to be okay…you have to," he chants over and over as the large claws are carefully guided by strong human hands toward the piece of debris they think they can move without hurting the previous life trapped beneath.

"Okay…here we go…just hold on…a bit longer," Donna tells herself as she closes her eyes and tries to picture a happy moment – their wedding day. The area around her begins to shake, her trusty cement guardian doing its best so shield the injured life form beneath it but at the same time knowing it would soon have to bend to the laws of physics.

"Deep breath…" she whispers as her heart starts to pound even louder in her ears; a small scream escaping her mouth as a small piece of debris dislodges and bounces off her shoulder. "Eddie!" She calls out before the whining becomes too loud and she fears darkness will consume her for good.

"Okay we got it!" Ray shouts as he looks at his Captain for an extraction command.

"Let's move it out very carefully!" Towes calls back.

"Okay just a bit longer baby…just a bit longer…" Ed chants over and over; Greg hearing the emotional strain in Ed's voice and knowing he had made the right call in leaving Ed where he was. In the end it was his love and strength that saved her; of that he would be certain.

"Okay all hands as soon as the machine pulls that up be ready to brace the opening!" Towes orders.

Not caring that he wasn't part of the official rescue team, Ed rushes in to help; his hands placed beside another member's, ready and waiting. The world around him starts to slow into a frenzied blur, the sound deafening as he calls out to his wife, telling her he was right there and then watching as the large metal claws, hungrily wrapped around its piece of debris start to pull back; the team of anxious humans – waiting.

The machine pulls back and Ed takes a deep breath, waiting, impatiently for the sturdy equipment to do its job; pulling back and allowing the desperate team a look at what the next hurdle would be. A small hole is presented and Ed breathes an instant sigh of relief when he hears his name from his wife – now only a few meters away.

For the first time in what feels like a small eternity Donna finally allows herself a proper exhale. The opening was create and in seconds light starts to decorate the once sullen area around her; her faithful protector opening its arms and allowing someone else to now step up and offer some loving care and protection – it's job almost complete.

"Donna? Can you hear me?" Ed leans in as close as he can; squinting into the darkness below and literally offering a small sob of relief as a glint from her mangled vest catches his eye. "Donna?"

"Ed. Thank…god," she lightly whimpers as her entire being floods with emotion. "I knew…you'd find me."

"I'm here. Okay they just need to remove a bit more away from the opening to get you out. Are you um…hurt anywhere badly?"

"I'll be okay," she answers with a strained tone as she tries to stifle another dry cough.

"Constable Lane," Towes gently touches him on the shoulder; Ed taking the hint and pulling back.

"Greg, I just spoke to…her…she's okay…she's okay," Ed repeats as he hears Greg utter a heavy sigh of relief; the headset going silent for a few moments as Greg informs the rest of the team of Donna Lane's status.

Not caring about holding back anymore tears, Donna's eyes water as she turns her face to the left, shielding it as the team carefully but swiftly extracts a few pieces of concrete away from the mouth of the rescue opening and the light around her increases – forcing hope to surge at the same time.

"Ed!"

Towes watches Ed wanting to pull off his glove and stops his actions by putting his hand on his arm. "This area is contaminated."

"I don't care," Ed replies in a firm but kind tone.

When it was large enough Ed's bare hand reaches down into the opening; his heart waiting for a few tormented seconds before her cool flesh finally connects with his warmth; his mind offering a brief prayer of thanks and his heart starting to beat again; her body gently trembling from happy relief as her grip around his hand tightens and hangs on with whatever ounce of strength her soul had left to offer.

"I got you," Ed whispers into the hole as he looks up at Towes who nods and then looks at his team.

"Okay…let's get her out."

* * *

**A/N:** I know in the show, Ed's time & attention was focused on helping find the bombs but in this rewrite figured he'd be too distracted and Sam was more than capable. But sadly Jimmy did die in the eppy and I kept that one detail canon – sorry if it was overly depressing but I tried not to dwell on it. Hope you all have a few nails left from this angsty rescue and the bittersweet reunion and recovery is up next. Thanks so much everyone and please do review before you go!


	4. Counting the Final Cost

**Title: City Under Siege  
****Chapter 4 – Counting the Final Cost**

* * *

As much as he wants to rush in and help pull his wife free, he knows he now has to stand back and wait as the team of skilled extraction medics works to get her secured onto the backboard and ready for transport. Time seems to slow for Ed and he can only curse his agitation as he watches the yellow backboard being maneuvered into the wider opening and two of the medics blocking his view as his wife is gently lifted onto the board and gently prepared for movement. His teeth grit as he hears her biting back a painful gasp and then trying to falsely assure those around her that she was indeed okay.

"Ed," Donna's lips whisper as she's finally able to turn and see him watching her with a strained smile. Her eyes naturally water as the medics gently drape a blanket over her slightly trembling frame and its all hands on deck to get her pulled out safely.

"You're safe now," Ed tells her in a soft whisper as the team carefully heads toward the opening to go out; the last piece of standing concrete watches before it too finally gives way to fatigue and everyone slightly jumps as the rumble shakes the floor beneath their feet.

"Sergeant Lane you say there was only one person in the direct vicinity of the bomb?"

"Anson Holt…had the bomb strapped…to his chest," Donna replies weakly but in truth. "No one else."

"Okay thanks. Team there is no way he would have survived the blast. This no longer a rescue or recovery mission. Let's pack up our gear and let the construction crews do the rest. Constable Lane is there any part of that bomb that you might need for evidence."

"Negative we know who we're after," Ed replies firmly. "Boss?"

"Team is working to diffuse the last one Ed. Your work there is done."

"And the rest of the team?"

"Sam got a bit singed but everyone is accounted for. We're just now racing to find the last one."

"Okay, we're getting into the ambulance now. Be there shortly."

"Copy."

Ed finishes with Greg and watches as Donna's gently lowered onto a real stretcher, strapped down for the ride to the stadium where a team of medics would work to get her injuries worked on in an isolation area so she could go through the decontamination process as well and minimal time would be wasted. Ed slides onto the bench, the glove back on his hand and cursing the fact that he couldn't even hold his wife's hand on the way to the stadium.

Donna finally frees her hand and reaches out to Ed's gloved one, not caring about the rough fabric that now impedes their touch as she knows as soon as they reach the stadium, she'll be whisked into surgery and him to rejoin the rest of Team One until either the vengeful bomber was taken down for good, or if he was already they could be reunited in a safe environment.

Ed silently watches the medic working on his wife; his eyes resting on the matted crimson sludge on the pale skin above her forehead, decorating her dusty, dirty blond hair with reddish bits. She had a nasty scrape on her cheek and her face winced with every movement from the speeding ambulance but she was alive and that's all that really mattered.

"How bad…is she?" Ed asks in concern.

"Feels like a few broken ribs, broken wrist but won't know for sure until we get her into x-ray and surgery. She said it feels tight to breathe but there is no whistling and so far she's not in distress so no punctured lungs. But it's hard to tell from this."

"Lost my phone," Donna huffs as she looks up to see Ed giving her a weak smile. "And headset."

"Sorry about the glove," Ed comments as his eyes rest on his wife's pale expression and frowns.

"I know. The radiation. They told me. How's my team?"

"Donna…"

"Ed, just tell me. Who um…did I lose anyone?"

As soon as she sees his jaw tighten behind the face shield her own stomach tightens and her eyes instantly water. "Who?" She begs in sorrow.

"Jimmy. Donna I'm so sorry," Ed laments in a soft tone as he reaches for a Kleenex and gently dabs the tears away, once again cursing that his bare skin couldn't offer her some tender comfort in her time of emotional distress. "Riley and Gary both went into surgery but should be fine."

"Jimmy…Ed he…he pushed me to where I was and I thought…oh damn I thought he made it," her voice cracks as she turns away and squeezes her eyes shut, clenching her jaw tight.

"I know it doesn't mean that much but he didn't suffer," Ed adds as she turns and looks at him and slowly nods. "Rachel got a broken arm and Richard a nasty cut to his leg but they'll be okay. Everyone's at the stadium."

"Roy?"

"He's fine. And…he actually had the license in his pocket," Ed remarks lightly as her eyes water and she nods. "Donna…I'm so sorry."

"Damn it Ed, I hate feeling weak and emotional."

"Think you've earned it after all this."

"You're making supper tonight," she lightly quips as his lips offer a small chuckle and he nods and sniffs back some fluid emotion.

"That's okay," Ed nods in agreement as he smiles down at her and his gloved hand around hers tightens. "I don't mind." But as he sees her wince once more as her body tries to shift, he stiffens in place and his panic soars. "Donna?"

"Just…hurts…"

"Where?"

"Everywhere," she huffs as she settles back down. "Trust me I did not just survive hell only to die on you on the operating table. You are stuck with me mister."

"I hope so…for a very long time," he replies in a soft tone as the speed of the ambulance starts to decrease as they near the stadium. "Okay once we get there I'm going to go and see the boss and get a status update but I'll be waiting once you're allowed back into general population."

"Be afraid," she quips lightly as she bites back a painful gasp with the ambulance's somewhat sudden halt.

"I love you," Ed offers tenderly as he squeezes her hand once more, knowing that she'd be taken away for at least a few hours until everything was complete.

"I love you too," she whispers as the back doors open and the medics prepare to join the melee inside the stadium. Ed hangs back and watches as Donna's stretcher is gently pulled away from beside him and taken toward the entrance to the stadium, a special area set up for those coming in with the radiation exposure and treated away from those without.

As he goes in search of Greg, Ed's fingers slowly peel away the protective suiting so that by the time he reaches Greg, the suit is gone only his SRU uniform is exposed.

"They just took Donna into surgery; she'll be okay."

"Thank god Eddie," Greg whispers as he gives Ed a brief but comforting hug. "But we're not done yet."

"Okay so what's the status Sam?"

"We put out the four bombs and we're almost all at the stadium," Sam's voice is heard as he and Tom near in one of the SUV's; Wordy and Spike in the other and Jules the lone occupant in the third.

"Any idea as to the location of the final bomb?" Ed asks in haste as Greg looks at him in concern. "What?"

_"Team I think I know where the last bomb is…it's here at the stadium," Greg informs them gravely._

_"The bomb's right there in the stadium? How can you be sure?" Jules asks Greg in a panic._

_"I'm not, but wouldn't that explain why Marcus didn't have the location for the last bomb?" Greg replies heavily. "Best chance is finding the bomb and diffusing it."_

_"Talk is not an option with Marcus."_

_"Yeah copy that."_

_"If you're Marcus you want maximum damage from a single bomb right?" Ed asks Greg. "He knows that bomb will not take that stadium down and this is his grand finale. He's going to put that bomb someplace up high where everyone will be exposed."_

"Okay everyone listen up…" Greg's voice starts to direct as Ed's eyes instantly start to scan the area above; frantically searching for something that would seem out of place. Of course he didn't expect it to be visible as he knows Marcus isn't your typical run of the mill baddie; he's cold, calculating and intelligent – a very dangerous combo.

"Okay team fan out and take one of the Uni's with you. Check every thing," Ed adds a few other instructions before he turns and gives Greg a firm nod. "No chances – that goes for all of us. No one try to be a hero. He'll take us any way he can so let's try to take him first."

"We stop this guy today Eddie, no matter what."

"No matter what," Ed whispers as he gestures to one of the Uni's to follow and hurries toward one of the stairwell; team one dispersing in all directions as the frantic search gets underway. Trying to push aside the fact that his wife's precious life was still in danger, he tries to focus on finding Marcus and getting the last bomb taken care of before it inflicted more hateful damage upon a city already under siege.

Ed reaches the top landing in the far opposite corner of where Greg is and starts to quickly scan the area. "Check those two doors," Ed directs. Sam and his Uni as well as Tom and his were at the other corners – the four of them covering the top, while Spike and Wordy checked below and Jules helped evacuate whoever she could.

"Nothing Sir," the uniformed officer informs Ed as he hurries back to his side.

"Moving on," Ed responds as he turns and heads toward another set of closed doors. "Let's move team, time is counting down!" Ed's gruff voice is heard over their headsets; a hint of personal desperation dripping from the words. "Check that," Ed directs as he pulls open his own door. But just before he can aim his flashlight into the corner to see what awaits them, a gunshot pierces the overhead silence and within seconds all eyes turn in the north east direction.

"Boss!" Ed shouts in horror as he turns and bolts past the uniformed officer, racing for the stairs that would take him to the overhead catwalk; his gun already drawn. "Sam!"

"No joy!" Sam's voice is heard over the headset, Spike and Wordy already on their way up. "I see the boss and…wait I see Marcus…damn he moved!"

"Where?" Ed demands as he reaches the catwalk, another shot piercing the air. "Boss!"

"Eddie…I'm hit!"

"Where? Someone talk to me! Boss where are you hit?"

"Vest. He…" Greg's voice trails off as he tries once more to reason with Marcus while listening to Spike telling him how to diffuse the last bomb. "Bomb's…diffused," Greg gasps as another shot pieces the air; seconds later a retaliatory shot being fired.

"Boss talk to me!" Ed's anger is heard over the headset as he yanks the door open and races toward the area that Marcus Faber was closing in on one of their own.

"Hit in the arm Eddie…I'm…okay," Greg huffs as two more shots are traded.

"Sam!"

"He's in the shadows, I can only see his gun!" Sam answers in desperation.

"Tom…anyone…"

"Eddie…hurry," Greg huffs with a somewhat labored breath as Ed pulls open the last door and rushes toward Greg's fallen frame, Greg whispering to Ed to hurry as Marcus was closing in and his gun was just about out.

Ed rounds the corner; Sam and Tom closing in a few meters behind and watches as Marcus Faber comes into view and hovers over Greg's fallen form, his gun raised and his lips offering a few last parting remarks.

_"You nail his ass to the wall!"_

Those angry but telling words fuel Ed's hatred; images of utter chaos and destruction, death and carnage, loss, despair…his friends…his team…his brother…his wife. He hears his own lips calling out to Marcus Faber who won't even give him the dignity of turning around to acknowledge his impending doom. Ed watches in slow motion as Marcus raises his gun over Greg's writhing frame on the floor and pulls back on the trigger. He fires off two shots that take Marcus down in seconds; Greg flopping back to the ground in painful relief.

"Boss!" Ed shouts as he passes by Marcus, leaving him for Sam and Tom to check, dropping to his knees and checking to see the extent of Greg's injuries.

"I'm okay Eddie," Greg replies with a painful wince. "I'll be okay."

"We need medics up here right now!" Ed growls loudly as Jules, still on the floor directs the medics into the proper stairwell and informs the team that help is on the way.

The madman had been taken down; no trial by jury of peers, no unsympathetic ears and rigid hearts to try to sway, no family to mourn a hateful enemy. The city had been brought to its knees; their very way of life threatened and for a few painful hours, their future hanging in the balance. But with a hearty intake of air and a few heavy exhales, the city could once again breathe easy. The war was over. The madman put to rest. Dying alone. A fitting epitaph to a sad existence.

"Subject neutralized," Sam tells them all as he stands back and watches as Ed rushes for the stairwell to check on the status of his wife, Greg is loaded onto a stretcher and headed for the elevator and the coroner's team arrives to claim the body.

"Nailed his ass to the wall," Tom whispers as Sam turns around and gives him a high five, their two fists holding each other firmly before they nod and then hurry to be with their respective family's.

But in the end Marcus had failed; bonds had been strengthened, courage renewed and hope restored.

XXXXXXXX

"So relieved," Wordy gives Ed a big hug as they are finally reunited; Spike on his way to sit with Riley; Marina on her way to the hospital to be with Greg; Wendy already at Roy's side and the rest of the team slowly dispersing and going their separate ways and letting the rest of the Toronto police force deal with the aftermath and cleanup.

"How's Roy?"

"He's good," Ed nods as he looks toward the makeshift decontamination tents. "Did Tom talk to Jimmy's family?"

"He's heading there right now," Wordy replies in truth. "I just called Shelly and she said she's going to go over to your apartment and fill the fridge."

"Okay thanks," Ed replies as he looks around at all the injured and then back at Wordy with a heavy frown. "Today…Wordy today was hell. In just the blink of an eye everything…was gone or taken or utterly destroyed and we…I nearly lost her today Wordy," Ed looks at his best friend in misery.

"But you're taking her home to rest and now we just rebuild and move on right?"

"Right," Ed nods, giving Wordy a tight lipped smile before he gives him one last hug. "I'll check in tomorrow."

"Okay."

Ed watches Wordy leave and then turns and heads for the small makeshift waiting area; his phone buzzing in the process.

_'Did you get him? Roy.'_

_'Nailed his ass to the wall. Ed'_

_'Knew you would. Donna?'_

_'Alive. A few injuries but she's alive.'_

_'What a relief. Broken left leg and a few broken ribs but could have been worse right?'_

_'You can still dance on crutches. Ed' _

_'Too bad the hall was destroyed. Roy.'_

"Figures," Ed chuckles to himself as he shakes his head, thankful, however, that his brother's alive and able to joke with him when so many other's at the moment were not as fortunate. Husbands, wives, sons daughters…family's broken and shattered. He feels almost selfish that he'd, hopefully be taking his wife home tonight when other's now would have to learn to live without starting tonight.

"Constable Lane?" A male voice breaks into his thoughts and pulls Ed's weary gaze upward.

"Can I see my wife now?"

"You can."

Broken wrist, three broken ribs, small puncture to her stomach, cut to her leg, mild concussion, multiple scrapes and bruises and one very stubborn attitude – those were the things the doctor said his wife brought away from the rubble with her. He gently pulls back the curtain to the surgical recovery tent and looks at her lying on the bed with a peaceful expression on her pale skin. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Ed removes his vest and gun holster, heads for the small makeshift sink and dampens a soft cloth before easing himself down at her bedside.

"They told me I was too stubborn to die," her voice punctuates the silence of the room as her warm blue eyes slowly open and look up; his actions of gently cleaning the dried blood and dirt away from her face on hold a few moments.

"You are," Ed whispers as he leans in and plants a tender kiss on her forehead before pulling back with a smile. "That's what I love about you," he utters in truth as he plants a small kiss on her lips and then with his free hand clasps hers and holds it tightly.

"Here I thought…it was my…amazing cooking," she teases lightly.

"Always that," he smiles before his face frowns once more. "Was um…really worried today," he lightly laments as his eyes water and her brow furrows. "When I heard your scream and then silence…"

"Trust me for a while there I didn't feel like I was alive at all. I tried to call…but I knew you'd come. I knew it."

"Always," Ed tells her in warmly before he gently pushes her arm back under the blanket and then continues on his task with cleaning the dried blood and dirt off her face. "Shelly's going to check on the apartment tonight so I'll stay here overnight with you."

"Ed…"

"I'm not leaving, not after all this."

"I was going to say the sleeping bed is just outside," she answers with a soft smirk. "Trust me I don't want you to leave right now either. Not after today; I don't want to be alone. Did you get whoever is responsible for all this?"

"We did," Ed answers as he launches into the whole sordid story behind Marcus Faber's tormented past and how Anson Holt and society in general helped feed his growing hatred so that he acted out in the worst way possible. In the end there was no call to surrender, only a call to turn and face his executioner, something he didn't afford Ed, who didn't care where the bullets went into him as long as they did and stopped him for good.

Ed finishes the rest of the details of the case, next telling her about Greg's injuries, Roy's wedding obviously on hold for a few weeks, the fact that Roy was okay and with Wendy; Sam and Jules on their way home after and Tom and Sam had personally visited Jimmy's family. Ed finally looks down to see his wife asleep and can't help but offer her a frown as he gazes upon the dark bruise now adorning her cheek and plants another kiss on her forehead before he stands up and slowly heads for the exit to the tent. Not in the mood to eat, too tired to change and not caring if he'd be uncomfortable sleeping in his uniform, Ed arranges the sleeping bed on her left, reaches for a blanket and eases himself down; lightly draping the blanket over his legs and reaching for her hand. He holds it firmly in his and gazes at her a few moments longer before his weary eyes slide shut and darkness consumes him literally within seconds.

XXXXXXXX

Donna's tired eyes slowly open the next morning, her back aching from lying so still and in one position for most of the night on the small bed. She fixes her gaze upon her husband's sleeping face and smiles warmly. It was his love and strength that kept her alive in that darkened tomb those few miserable hours; his voice telling her to hold on and that he was on his way. As soon as she actually heard his voice acknowledge hers; hope literally flooded her entire being and she knew she was safe no matter the extent of her injuries.

"Sleep well?" Ed asks in a sleepy tone as he rubs his face and then looks at his wife as he rolls onto his side; propping himself up on his elbow.

"Back's sore but I think everything will be for a few days yet right?"

"Think so."

"You?"

"Never better," Ed retorts bringing a small giggle to his wife's lips.

"I can go home today right?"

"Pretty sure you can. Just gotta eat soft stuff for the next few days," Ed reaches for the small instruction list the doctor had left the night before. "He said you'd get better rest at home but if something doesn't feel right then to go the nearest ER."

"Help me up," she lovingly requests as Ed's all too quick to comply with. He gently grabs her around the waist and helps her get upright, wrapping his arms around her and just holding her close; not wanting, actually almost afraid to let go. "Never thought I'd feel this again," Donna whispers as she holds onto Ed, reveling in the delight of the warmth his body was offering.

"I don't want to let go," he offers tenderly as he kisses the side of her cheek and then pulls back with a concerned frown.

"Let's go home. You know with this hand out of commission I might need a bit of help in the shower," Donna suggests with a small smile as Ed's grin widens. "I smell like…death," she whispers in misery as she looks at the entrance to the makeshift recovery room and then up at her husband. "So much hatred and for what…" her voice dies out in a whispered hiss as Ed helps her with the jacket that Wordy had left for her to wear home.

Ed helps her put her right arm in a sling and then takes her left hand and gently guides her out of the tent back into general population; heading toward the exit doors and outside. Donna's lips offer a soft gasp as she looks around at all the recovery survivors and can only growl and curse Marcus's name once more. Her hand squeezes her husbands and she chokes back ensuing emotion as they head for the exit doors and then emerge outside – the air outside still holding the remnants of despair and devastation. But at the same time it holds hope and the energy to rebuild and emerge stronger than ever.

"Any damage to our apartment?" Donna asks in haste as they near the waiting SUV.

"Wordy said the block was damaged a bit by looters but it's okay otherwise," Ed assures her as they both get into the waiting SUV and the doors close. "Wordy texted while you were dressing and said Greg came through his surgery overnight very well and is going home today also; Roy is already at home grumbling," Ed lightly chuckles as he slowly meanders through the streets; Donna staring absently out the window, her uninjured hand tightening into an angry fist as Ed looks at his resting on the middle console.

"The worse we had to contend with was a traffic jam and purse thief on our wedding day," Donna mentions as she turns back to Ed with a heavy frown. "Sam and Jules…Ed they lost friends…part of their neighborhood. Jules was injured…Greg…Sam…she nearly lost her husband before they even started their new life together and yet…they got off lucky. Marcy will never get Jimmy back. The boys….lost their father…and for what," her voice drops to a low hiss before she offers a small wince and leans back on the seat; Ed looking over in concern.

"Hurts when I get angry."

"Think you could survive watching a comedy?"

"I'd watch paint dry," Donna retorts dryly. "Anything but the news," she huffs as she looks over at Ed. "You talk to Troy today?"

"Rest of the teams are all present and accounted for. I guess Team one and team three have earned some time off."

"Uh oh…you hate taking time off," she gently reminds him.

"After this I think I have a new appreciation for the time we get to spend together," he confesses in truth as he brings the SUV to a halt outside their building and both slowly head inside. Donna can't help but smile at the large bouquet of fresh flowers that Shelly and Wordy had left on their counter as they enter their quiet apartment; Donna pulling away and heading for the kitchen to check on the food in their fridge as Ed heads for the bedroom. A few quiet moments later, Donna goes in search of her husband, finding him in the bedroom looking at a picture of them taken on their wedding day.

He hears her footsteps near and looks up with a soft, teary eyed expression, forcing her heart to want to break as her ringed hand rests on his. "Finally got to stop and think about how close it was," he admits with a small swallows. "Yesterday…was such a blur I just…it was too close."

"It was," she whispers as she moves her way into his waiting arms and the two of them remain locked together for a few moments longer; enjoying the silence and steady beating of each other's heart. Finally they break apart, Ed suggesting he draw her a bath instead as he knows it would be easier for him to work on his self-control if only one of them was wet and naked; plus her broken ribs wouldn't be able to take any pressure from a romantic romp – either standing up or lying down.

"Okay that's good," Donna tells Ed in a soft tone as he finishes wrapping the cast on her wrist and then helps her ease down into the bathtub. "I don't mind you being this attentive," she looks up with a smile. But as he looks down into the warm soapy bath with a frown, her hand gently caresses his face and gives him a sympathetic gaze.

"Never seen you this…"

"Pathetic?" She interjects.

"Not you," he whispers as he quickly swallows. "Vulnerable. You are the strongest woman I have ever known and I love that about you but…but seeing the cuts and bruises and the…bandages, just makes me realize things," he ends abruptly, her hand clasping his.

"I'm going to be okay thanks to you."

The two of them make small talk about what they'd do with their days off; Ed's hands gently massaging the dried blood, drywall dust and whatever bits of debris out of her hair that was still lodged in from the day before. They talk more about Greg's recovery, Roy's wedding having to be delayed but saying that he was now anxious to be with Wendy in a serious way, Sam and Jules having a family brunch and their family dinner with Wordy and Shelly on the weekend. In short, after a few weeks of recovery life would slowly return to as normal as possible.

"Riley is going to be okay. They had to remove his spleen," Ed reads the text from Spike. "Tom said the rest of your team is recovering just fine."

"Am glad for Riley and so happy he's got such a great friend in Spike," Donna tells him truthfully as she extends her hand and Ed helps her out of the bath and into the broad expanse of a waiting towel. "Team four will have to replace Jimmy and the city will have to rebuild but it can be done. Just with a few new scars as reminders," she mentions in a somber tone as she slowly dries. "And we'll start with Roy's wedding."

"Yup," Ed agrees with a small smirk.

"You honestly don't think he'll show this time? He can't blame aliens and I doubt he'll have another excuse like he did yesterday."

"Trust me, saying I do is scary enough for Roy," Ed tells her frankly as she starts to dress in something warm and clean. "He'll be there. Only one of us got the looks right?"

"I might have been wrong," Donna looks up with a smile as they reenter the hallway. "I got the best of both."

Ed's arm around her waist tightens as he pulls her close and plants a tender kiss on her cheek, telling her it's time for a late lunch as they enter the kitchen. Ed goes in search of a bottle of wine while Donna does her best to see what she can arrange for lunch from the Tupperware containers that Shelly had left the night before.

The two of them talk more about what the teams would have to do to rebuild and learn from the reign of terror Marcus Faber used to bring the city to its knees; the new counter-terrorism plans and a few team building exercises. After lunch they head into their bedroom, Ed easing himself down first and then helping his wife to lie down beside him.

Donna moves into his strong arms as Ed pulls the blanket over them. She whispers 'I love you' as her eyes close and she willingly surrenders to his protective embrace as he whispers 'I love you' back and looks down with a tender gaze. He had come so close to losing her, faced despair and nearly tasted death; she had tasted it briefly but fought her way back, proving to him that their true love and strong bond had helped her pull through the darkness and emerge into the light.

They had survived a city under siege and one of the worst tests on their marriage possibly ever. As they now lay peacefully in each other's embrace in the safety of their apartment and work on healing, the city outside starts to rebuild and grow from adversity. There would be nothing now they couldn't face together and beat; that was the one thing Marcus Faber failed to destroy – hope.

**THE END!**

* * *

**A/N:** Okay so had to get a few more lines from the eppy into this b/c I felt they were kinda key in that moment. But as I didn't want to put Greg through the hell the real writers did, I made his injuries minimal and non-career ending. Hey I like to know Team One rode off into the sunset as the cohesive and whole unit they were to start with. Last eppy rewrite was 3 chaps but this one got you one more hehe so hope you all liked this little AU ficlet and please do review before you go and let me know your thoughts and if you'd like another in the future (either story or ficlet) and thanks so much!


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